Month: September 2014

Electric Buddhas give a psychedelic twist to the naming of their genres. (Photo – D. Hixon)

While vacationing on Lake Ossipee, NH my Wife and I took a day trip to Portland to explore Maine’s largest city. It’s by no means a “big” city – but it resolves this with a strong dose of personality & charm – which is most evident while visiting the record shops.

Moody Lords records & vintage clothing should be on your radar.

My first stop was Bull Moose – which unfortunately has more CD’s & DVD’s than vinyl, with the majority of records being new releases. That’s no problem if you live in Portland – but if you’re a n0n-Mainer it’s a bummer as there’s nothing unique to the selection. While I stayed away from most everything – I found some insanely affordable records in their bargin bin which made the shop worth peeping, but I’d make it later in your crawl.

Next was Moody Lords – which ended up being my favorite shop in Portland. I was greeted at the door by a quizzical babe in diapers, and once I got past the buddha I was exposed to a shop layered with tasteful vintage garb and a well manicured landscape of vinyl. Cultivation was as equally easy as it was dangerous due to the quality of fruit to pick from – and the laid back vibe, friendly service, and sloppy garage bouncing off the walls made me fall a little in love with everything. A must stop if on the hunt in Portland.

Just a few doors down I visited Strange Maine which was my most anticipated shop to visit – but in general, I was disappointed. This could be because my taste isn’t particularly metal/hard rock aligned, but I found the majority of records to be in shoddy condition and displayed in a cramped and forced way. I’ve been to a lot of dusty record stores – not my cup of tea, but could see why a collector of a certain disposition would dig this place.

Last up was Electric Buddhaswhich was hands down the most joy riddled shop in Portland. It’s a garden salad mix of retro video games, rare vinyl, and audiophile quality stereo equipment. While Moody Lords was manned by vixen like sirens who bleed cool and breathed hip – the Buddhas tag team of lovable (and I think admitted) dorks gave everything in the shop extra credibility, love, and care. I picked up a copy of The Freak Scene’s Psychedelic Psoul which I never thought I’d see in person – and that was one of many adjacently priced gems they had stuffed between N64 games and unopened packs of Saved by the Bell cards. Like I said, joy, as was the rest of Portland, a worthy stop for the record obsessed fiend lost in Northern New England.

Last Wednesday I had the fortune to spin vinyl at State Park Bar in Cambridge. State Park is the Sister restaurant to the highly revered and loved Hungry Mother – and is quickly becoming one of many reasons you should spend more time in Kendall Square.

Located on the same block as West Bridge, Friendly Toast, & Cambridge Brewing Company – State Park offers a sophisticated & laid back vibe that’s disguised as a dive bar. This said, the food, cocktails, and staff exhume the opposite of dive – and pump out A+ Southern inspired dishes, drinks, & charm that leave mouths happy and hearts content.

The scene offered the perfect compliment to the music featured on Visions of the Unexcused, making for a fit that was seamless, ideal, & preferred. I spun a set that included favorites from Garage, Indie, African, Funk, and Hip Hop – many that can be heard on previous podcasts – and as the tunes echoed throughout the bar – smiling ears and eyes couldn’t deny the symmetry between music and location.

As a cherry on top we had a New England staple, which also doubles as a favorite, Narragansett Beer, be a generous sponsor, providing the Unexcused Faithful (that’s you!) with some drinks sans charge in support of our Visions. This is hopefully the first of many nights we get lost together- and I hope we find each other with the music next time around.